Ask The Expert: Mark Toulson, Head of Watch Buying

In the first of a series of Buyers Q&A’s, we approached our Head of Watch Buying, Mark Toulson and invited him to share his wealth of expertise in ‘Understanding Watches’. With over 15 years in the watch buying business, Mark is the perfect goldmine of information to present some clarity to watch movements, materials, purpose and much more.

Let’s Understand Watches with Mark…

So then Mark, let’s start with movements – quartz, automatic or manual? For someone new to watches, what are the key differences between each of these movements?

Christmas Day 1969 saw Seiko announce the Astron – the world’s first quartz watch. It was a memorable day that changed the watch industry forever and provided the first real challenge to mechanical watches since their inception in the 1500’s. A battery provides an electrical current to the watch circuits of which the quartz crystal is a part. The crystal vibrates 32,768 times a second and the circuits turn this into a regular electronic pulse that powers a small motor that ultimately turns those pulses into the movement of the hands. The main virtues of a quartz watch are that there are few moving parts meaning there is less to go wrong but also they are highly accurate and depending on the quality relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Mechanical watches fall into two main types, manual and automatic. Manual movements require the user to periodically wind up the mainspring and from that the gears and the escapement control the release of power into the movement of the hands. Automatic movements are the same in terms of how they use the power stored in the mainspring but rather than winding up the mechanism simply wearing the watch every day and moving ones arm provides enough kinetic energy to power the movement.

The visible difference between quartz and the mechanical types of movement are with quartz the seconds hand has a definite “step” as it moves around the dial, whereas on mechanical watches the hand has a graceful sweep to it that marks the time. Quartz are highly accurate and require minimal maintenance other than periodic battery replacements. They have so much going for them that people often wonder why mechanical watches are so popular. Well, I believe it’s because they are much more involving for the wearer.

That either manual or automatics require some form of human action to power them provides almost an intimate relationship, a symbiosis that you don’t get with quartz. Over the years mechanical watches have become increasingly durable, accurate, less susceptible to shocks and magnetism but for me they’ve never lost their ability to fascinate particularly if the movement is visible through the case back. Arguably a quartz watch is science, whilst a mechanical one is art!

Watches are crafted from a broad range of materials these days, to include leather, rubber, metal and ceramic. What are the pros and cons of each?

To a large extent, the type of band that secures the watch to your wrist is indicative of the type of watch it is. For example, a leather or alligator strap tends to be on more dressier, classical watches whereas rubber tends to be used on action-orientated sports watches. The different types have their pros and cons. Rubber straps are comfortable, tough and resistant to saltwater whereas a beautiful leather strap is intended for a more refined existence in the office or at dinner.

Metal bracelets come in many forms including steel, a combination of steel and precious metal and completely precious metal, whilst polishing or satinising the material gives the manufacturer the opportunity to create contrasting finishes to great effect. Depending on the metal it can transform a watch into almost a piece of jewellery but certainly gives the watch a completely different feel to a leather strap. Steel bracelet watches are incredibly popular, particularly for “sports” type watches. They look good, are durable and provide a secure way of attaching the watch to your wrist.

Mixed metal, or steel and precious adds a touch more glamour whilst a full 18ct gold bracelet for example is a real statement piece. Ceramic bracelets are also popular. As a material it is lighter than steel, very scratch resistant and also hypoallergenic, meaning it won’t irritate your skin if you have sensitivities. Equally, it can be coloured so allows different eye-catching finishes to be achieved. Overall then, each type of material has its place depending on the use you plan for your watch. It’s a matter of choice based on your lifestyle.